Foreign firms invest in Brazil oil amid strike

Compiled from news services

RIO DEJANEIRO — Multinationaloil companiesbought significant stakesin three Brazilian pre-salt oil fields auctioned Thursday,a show of confidencein the future of the energysector despite a recent strikeby truckers over risingfuel prices that brought LatinAmerica’s largest nation to a halt.

Theauction, which includedseveral multinationalsamong the 16 companies bidding,was closely watchedto gauge market reactionto the trucking shutdown,which raised questionsabout the ability of state oil giant Petrobras to setprices without governmentinterference.

Inaddition, Petrobras CEOPedro Parente stepped downlast week, saying his presencewould be a distractionas the company looked to the future.

Thosedevelopments did notappear to present problemsfor companies that agreedto pay $798 million to explore three of four fields beingauctioned. There were nobids on the fourth.

Manual recount in Iraq

BAGHDAD— Iraq’s SupremeCourt will oversee amanual recount of ballots fromlast month’s election, accordingto an announcementThursday, as a crescendoof fraud complaints andcriticism of the country’selectoral commission threatenedto undermine the legitimacy of the tightly contested vote.

Theannouncement from thecourt came in response to a politically tinged vote in Parliamenton Wednesday inwhich lawmakers amendedthe election law to demanda recount overseen bya panel of judges.

Also in the world ...

Russian troops will remainin Syria as long as Moscowthinks it’s necessary, but Russia isn’t buildingpermanent facilities in theonly Middle East countrywhere it has a military foothold, President VladimirPutin said Thursday.... Afghan President AshrafGhani on Thursday announceda weeklong cease-firewith the Taliban tocoincide with the holiday markingthe end of Ramadannext week.